All set for this year’s ski season

FGC RESORTS (VALLTER, VALL DE NÚRIA, LA MOLINA, PORT AINÉ, ESPOT AND BOÍ TAÜLL): SUSTAINABILITY AND DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION

Club Pirineu365 users get integrated technology which gives them direct entry to the ski lifts. The Pirineu365 card also works as a universal pass for all FGC Turisme resorts.

Installation of 32 new vehicle charging points at FGC resorts. As of this season, drivers can use a total of 44.

Buying or topping up ski passes on the La Molina, Port Ainé, Espot and Boí Taüll websites comes with €2 off the price charged at the point of sale.

The Snow Laboratory project, directed by Albert Verdaguer, PhD in Physical Sciences from the University of Barcelona, has been set up to develop technology which produces snow more efficiently.

An agreement has been signed with ECOEMBES to improve waste management in the resorts.

 

LA MOLINA

This year the resort of La Molina is hosting the speed events of the FIS Alpine Para-Skiing World Cup from 12 to 17 January. They will be held in the Lluís Breitfuss stadium on the Pista Barcelona, with two downhill runs and a supergiant.

 

LA VALL DE NÚRIA

ECOVALL is a new feature this year at Vall de Núria. The scheme seeks to improve the capacity to adapt to today's climate emergency.

One of its work strands is expanding the current thermal facilities through the Zero Diesel Project to step up the production of renewable energy. Using new synthetic fuels for slope maintenance equipment is also envisaged. The goal is to cut emissions in this area by 90%.

The resort is seeking to lay the foundations for more responsible management in the future.

Vall de Núria - Oriol Molas

VALLTER

Vallter has set up 18 snow blowers on the Pista Xalet, the longest, steepest and most varied at the resort.

A co-working venue has also been set up in La Portella cafe.

 

 

PORT AINÉ

For this season, Port Ainé is renewing its freestyle modules and putting up new signage in its snowpark.

 

ESPOT

Espot has added a new viewpoint at Creu de l'Eixol. It affords a 360º panoramic view over the resort and the peaks in the Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici National Park, the Pica d'Estats, known as the roof of Catalonia, and even the Cadí mountain range towards Port Ainé.

 

 

BOÍ TAÜLL

This year Boí Taüll is to host the sprint and mixed relay events in the Ski Mountaineering World Cup on 27-28 January. Following the holding of the ISMF Skimo World Championships in 2023, the resort is now a leader in the Pyrenees for this sport which will be an Olympic event at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics.

Plus in terms of tourism, the group reception area, the cafe and ski gear hire services have all been upgraded.

Boí Taüll ACT_autor Inmedia Solutions SL

PORT DEL COMPTE AND BAQUEIRA BERET: EXTENDING SLOPES AND INTERNATIONAL COMPETITIONS

 PORT DEL COMTE

This season Port del Comte has a new surface lift called Bambi which makes moving uphill easier for children and beginner skiers alike due to its mid-height cable. This surface lift also extends the skiable area in the beginners' zone. The resort has additionally installed a new state-of-the-art fan cannon to produce snow.

In terms of maintenance, over 700 linear metres of screens have been installed to help preserve snow on the slopes while the resort is driving water saving through melt and rainwater recovery systems as a sustainability measure. It is also leveraging plant waste from forest clearing to convert it into biomass and protect areas with a high erosion risk. Port del Comte is keeping the prices of daily and seasonal passes the same.

 

BAQUEIRA BERET

Baqueira Beret has rearranged its slopes and added three new routes including the red Barqueta which descends from the Mirador de Baqueira straight to Argulls. It thus has 170 km of slopes including the three off-piste routes. The website has been upgraded to include easier top-up of the BaqueiraTICKET and BaqueiraPASS and the sustainable ticketless parking system which avoids the use of paper. The resort's Montarto Hotel has refurbished all its rooms and La Choza cafe on the slopes has also upgraded its facilities.

For the third year in a row the resort is to host the Freeride World Tour 2024, a world freeride event which will feature Catalan riders Núria Castán and Abel Moga. It will also be the venue for the junior edition of this competition.

NORDIC SKIING RESORTS: ARANSA, LLES DE CERDANYA, SANT JOAN DE L’ERM, TUIXENT-LA VANSA AND VIRÓS VALLFERRERA: NEW ECOTOURISM ROUTES

The Nordic skiing resorts in the Lleida Pyrenees have carried out maintenance and preparation work on their ski circuits and snowshoe routes, including reviewing signage on the slopes and circuits and repairing or replacing signposts.

This season these resorts have kicked off five ecotourism routes as an add-on to winter sports which can also be done during the rest of the year. They are marked circular routes and differentiated by theme.

Tot Nòrdic offers a season pass which allows users to ski at all the resorts in the Lleida Pyrenees: Aransa, Lles de Cerdanya, Sant Joan de l’Erm, Tavascan, Tuixent-la Vansa and Virós-Vallferrera.